In July 2009, Jessie and Bradley were only two weeks away from their wedding date and were expecting their first child. Both Jessie and Bradley had served in the U.S. military, and Jessie had just returned from a 10-month deployment in Iraq as a certified combat lifesaver. They were looking forward to beginning their lives together when the unexpected happened.
At their local gym, Jessie saw Bradley stumble off the treadmill and fall to the ground. She didn’t know at the time that Bradley was in cardiac arrest due to an undiagnosed cardiomyopathy. Hearing the commotion, physical trainer Amy Holmes ran to the scene. She was a month away from completing a nursing degree and had also served in the military as a combat lifesaver.
Jessie’s sister grabbed an AED and brought it to Amy who was monitoring Bradley’s condition while awaiting EMS’ arrival. After less than a minute, his heart completely stopped. Amy administered an AED shock, performed chest compressions and gave one rescue breath when suddenly, his eyes opened. “Why am I lying down next to the treadmill?” asked Bradley.
Jessie’s Reflections Ten Years Later
Jessie reflects on this life altering experience:
“After Bradley’s life was restored that day it changed the path of my life in ways I could have never imagined. We have had the joy of raising our wonderful daughter, Sylvana, together and Amy is Sylvana’s Godmother. We all live in the same small town and keep in touch regularly.
Bradley had open heart surgery in 2014 to relieve the worsening symptoms of his cardiomyopathy and we go jogging now, while I keep a close eye on him. We stay CPR certified for our professions, and frequently request AED defibrillators be placed in public locations that are lacking them. You never know when they can save a life!
If Bradly would have lost his life that day, I would not be writing this now. We are abundantly grateful for every day, both good and bad because we are fortunate enough to have these days to share thanks to Amy and the training she received.”
Register for Lifesaving Training
Register to take a Red Cross training course at redcross.org/take-a-class today to learn lifesaving skills for tomorrow.